Bring a Friend
by Agnes Bean
Summary: A slashy take on why Sirius ran away from home. SiriusRemus. PLEASE rr, it's my first slash fic!
1. An Unexpected Invitation

**Warning: **This is a slash fic.  That means it's based on a male/male relationship.  If you don't like that, don't read it.

**Disclaimer: **HP ain't mine.  If it were, the person who died in book five would still be very much alive.

**Spoilers: **Based _very_ loosely off an event that is mentioned in passing in book five. But that's it, so I think you'll be ok, even if you haven't read _The Order of the Phoenix._

**Paring: **Sirius/Remus 

**A/N: **My first slash fic! PLEASE R/R

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CHAPTER 1: AN UNEXPECTED INVITATION

"My God!"  Sirius exclaimed, squinting at the letter in his hand to make sure he had read it correctly. 

          "What?" James asked, startled by his friend's sudden outburst.

          "My mother says I can bring a friend home for the Holidays," Sirius explained, a grin forming on his face.

          "Seriously?" 

          "Seriously!" Tossing the letter across the table, Sirius picked up a piece of toast and began to eat it with a happy flourish. 

          "That's awesome man!" James said, his grin matching Sirius's as he read over the letter. "But you know," he faltered, voice betraying disappointment, "I can't come.  I have to spend Christmas with my family."

          "Yeah…that's too bad," Sirius replied, also disappointed. But that disappointment was sort lived as his gaze quickly shifted to Remus. "What about it Moony? Fancy spending a couple weeks with me and my dear old mum?"

          Remus blushed slightly as he stammered, "I don't know…I mean…"

          "Aw come on, it's only two weeks, and there won't be a full moon while we're there."

          "Still…"

          "Sirius, I'll go with you," Peter cut in, his face filled with desperate hope, making him appear more pathetic than ever. Sirius's smile faltered as he shot an unhappy glance at Remus.  While Peter was a nice enough guy, spending two weeks alone with him wasn't Sirius's idea of an ideal holiday.  Plus Peter's utter lack of intelligence and love for whining wouldn't do much to improve his mother's already low opinion of him and his friends.  

          "Come on Remus," he pleaded. "It'll be fun.  And no one will find out you're a werewolf, I promise."

          "Well…fine," Remus said, giving in with a slight grin.

~~~                                                            ~~~                                                              ~~~

          But that night he lay awake, eye's fixed on the sealing, mind in turmoil.  Sirius had misinterpreted his reasons for hesitation.  He had known that there wouldn't be a full moon, and honestly, thought that Sirius's family might find out what he was hadn't even crossed his mind.

          He rolled onto his side, eyes resting on Sirius, asleep in the bed next to his own.

          Sprawled across the bed shirtless, his head was turned away from Remus, but his profile was still visible, sharp nose and full lips lit by the moon as his long hair was swept gently across his face by a breeze coming from an open window.  He was beautiful. 

          Remus's heart beat faster at the thought of spending two weeks with this perfection, just him and Sirius, no one else.

          Because it was not his werewolfness that had made him hesitate to go with Sirius, he had hesitated because the thought of spending two weeks alone with him was as terrifying as it was thrilling.

          And it was extremely thrilling.

Flipping onto his back again, he willed himself to get the sleep he so badly needed in the upcoming week of tests, unaware that Sirius was not, as he had assumed, asleep.

In fact, Sirius was wide awake, and just as frightened as Remus.  

_Why couldn't James come? _He thought, his internal voice shaking .  _That would have been simple, we would have had fun—no complications. But Remus? O God, I've wanted this for so long—just to be able to spend time alone with him.  But what will it get me? Nights wishing we weren't just lying there asleep? Days pretending I only like him as a friend?_

_I can do it,_ he reasoned, _I've been doing it since our second year…what is that, four years now? I can keep up the masquerade.  But--but I've always had James and Peter to fall back on, someone else to make conversation when I want to kiss him too badly to keep talking. _He stirred restlessly, licking his dry lips with a sigh. _I can keep pretending.  Even if it's just him and me. I can._ But he wasn't sure if he believed it.  

          **A/N: **If you review, I will love you forever!  Constructive criticism is always welcome, though I would appreciate it if you didn't flame.  


	2. The Mother

**Disclaimer: **Still ain't mine.

**A/N: ***Hugs those who reviewed*  I love you, I really do!

Anyway, I've made it my goal to update this fairly regularly.  Now, this won't be possible since I'm going away to see my sick grandfather this Thursday--Sunday, and am then leaving for Outward Bound for three weeks the following Friday.  But hopefully I'll have at least through Chapter 3 up before Outward Bound, and what with a plane ride to California and then back, and then another one to Main and back, I'm hoping to have the whole thing written out, and then it will only be a matter of typing up/revising. 

My point? Please don't give up on/completely forget about this fic if I stop updating it for a while, because I won't have forgotten about it and I'm planning to actually finish it! 

CHAPTER 2

            The next week passed in a blur of pre-holiday tests, stress and festivities.  It was in no time at all that Sirius found himself being poked awake with James's voice ringing in his ears.

            "Get up. Padfoot UP! We need to go."  Sirius let out a complaining moan. 

            "I don't wanna," he muttered groggily. 

            "If you don't get up you'll miss the train—and your mum won't like that much."   Sirius's eyes snapped open.

            "I'm up, I'm up,"  he said hoarsely, unhappily rolling out of bed onto unsteady feet, noting that James and Remus were already dressed, in Muggle clothing.  He grabbed a pair of jeans and pulled them on while muttering darkly. 

            "You know," Remus began, looking sadly over at the bed containing the still sleeping Peter,  "I feel bad leaving him all alone with no one else in the dorm." 

            "You, my friend are too nice for your own good," Sirius said from within a black t-shirt. "You should care less about other people," he concluded with a smile as his head emerged from the shirt, hair falling in disorder across his face. _ That's actually not true at all_, he though to himself as he grabbed a comb from his dresser. _I love how nice he is_.  But he didn't voice this second opinion.

            Remus smiled at him. "Maybe I am too nice, but I still feel bad.  I've always spent Christmas with him." 

            "Yeah—and you know you'd rather spend it with me," Sirius scoffed, eyeing the snoring heap of the forth Marauder.  Shaking his head he followed James, who was already out the door and on his way to the common room. 

            "You have no idea how right you are,"  Remus whispered Sirius's retreating back.  Sighing, he left the room after him.

*                                                                            *                                                               *                                                          

            "Come on man, make a move." Remus looked up. 

            "Let me think Sirius! You're not even playing!" 

            "Yeah, and I'm sure he's very entertained by watching you stare at the pieces."

            "I don't play to entertain James.  I play to win," Remus snapped,  before turning his eyes back to the board.  Sirius smiled a little, Remus had a habit of getting angry when chess games weren't  going his way.  He looked out the window as fields swept past them.

            "How much longer do you reckon it'll take 'till we're there?" he asked dully.  James shrugged.

"Hey," James began a few minuets later, "why do you think your mum is letting you take a friend home for the holidays?"  Sirius shook his head.

            "Got me.  It seems awfully—well, _nice_.  And my mother is not nice."  Remus broke his trance. 

            "She can't be that bad," he argued, as he did every time Sirius mentioned his mother.  

            "Just wait until you meet her," James warned.  "You'll be singing a different tune."

            "Sure," Remus said, unconvinced.  But caring more about the game than an argument he knew would be fruitless, he turned his attention back to that.

            "It's really odd," Sirius continued, turning to face James. She knows bringing a friend would make me happy—"

            "And she doesn't like it when you're happy," James finished for him.  "Maybe she's planning to kill Remus or something."

             "Now _really_ James," Remus said, looking up again.

            "I wouldn't put it past her," Sirius said with a shrug.  "Maybe you should watch what you eat."  Remus gave him a very patronizing look.  In response Sirius stuck out his tongue.  "Just make your move already," he said, punctuating the command with a small shove.

            "Ok…ok…"

*                                                                            *                                                               *                                                          

            An hour later the three boys departed from the train, Remus gloating  over the chess game, which he had won in a spectacular comeback.  James spotted his parents quickly and ran off with a wave.  Sirius scanned the crowd for signs of his family.

            "There's Regulus," he said, spotting his brother.  "And…well that explains it."

            "What explains what?" 

            "That girl with him…she's his girlfriend.  Stupid Slytheren bitch.  I bet you anything the little git convinced mother to let him bring a 'friend,' and she decided she would have to let me too…"

            "Well, then, I guess I can eat whatever I want," Remus said with a smile.  

            "I don't know…she still might kill you."  Remus rolled his eyes as he followed Sirius over to his brother and girlfriend.

"Seen mum?" Regulus asked once he spotted Sirius.

"No, but she's bound to be here soon. Who's your friend?"

            "Nicole." Sirius nodded curtly at the girl, who gave him a stony glare.  

            "I'm Remus," Remus commented after a moment of uncomfortable silence.  "Sirius's friend," he added pointlessly.  Regulus blinked at him in a very unkindly fashion, and he began to wonder if perhaps Sirius's family was as bad as Sirius and James made them out to be.  No one said anything for nearly five minuets, until:

            "I see her."  And indeed, Ms. Black was sweeping towards them with a commanding air, black dress dragging on the ground.

            "Hello mum," Regulus said cheerfully, "this is Nicole.  Nicole _Barris._"  Ms. Black smiled when she heard Nicole's last name and gave her an approving look as she shook her hand.

"I've met your parents, very nice people," she commented. Nicole smiled.

"They said the same about you." Ms. Black smiled back.

But that smile vanished as she turned to her elder son.

"And this is?" She asked, giving Remus a disapproving look.  He shifted comfortably. 

"Remus," Sirius replied coolly.  "Lupin," he added unhappily when he saw his mother's glare. 

"Never heard of them," she said, an accusation, not a comment. 

"I'm pure blooded," Remus said hastily.

"But not from a very good family, obviously."  Remus had to hide a smile when he saw Sirius roll his eyes behind her back.  

"Just ignore her," he whispered once Ms. Black had turned away, "it's the only way to remain sane."  Remus nodded, feeling that this vacation wasn't going to be all fun and games, and not just for the reason he had anticipated. 

**A/N: **Ok, not very much happens in this chapter, certainly not very much shippy.  I would have made it longer, but I wanted to get something up before I leave for California tomorrow, and I don't have time to write more.  Please R/R!


	3. Welcome Home

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter _wasn't mine when I started writing this fic, it's not mine now, and in all probability it will never be mine. 

**A/N:  **I wrote this chapter while in a rehab center after staring mindlessly at the TV for a few hours.  It was a lovely trip.  

Actually, I have most of the next chapter written too, so hopefully I'll have through chapter four up before I leave for Outward Bound.  I wish I had something that would type it all up for me though, these chapters are longer than the other ones, and I'm a slow typer! *grumbles* I hope you appreciate the effort I'm putting into this: I mean, the first thing I do after a six hour plane ride is sit down and type this thing up!  You all better like it, with all the work I'm doing! (I'm just kidding, feel free to hate it if you want ;) )

P.S. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I appreciate it so much!

CHAPTER 3: WELCOME HOME

As they traveled home (in a car),  Ms. Black was determinedly silent towards the two Marauders.  They returned this silence, listening wordlessly to her praise of Regulus's accomplishments.   

            "Stupid Bitch never complements me," Sirius complained as he and Remus walked towards his room.  "And I get better grades than Regulus!"

            "And in more trouble, no doubt," Remus replied playfully.

            "Well…yeah," Sirius admitted with a touch of pride.  By this point they had reached a door.   "This is my room," Sirius commented, and with a flourish opened the door. 

            The room was small: a single bed took up most of the space, the mattress shoved next to it didn't help much either.  Squeezed into a corner was a dresser.  Books were neatly stacked along one side of the room, the rest of the walls were bare (Sirius later explained this was because his mother disapproved of posters).  A closet was slightly opened, reveling conscientiously hung robes.

            "It's not normally this organized," Sirius explained, seeing his friend's expression and knowing Remus was having a hard time reconciling this room with Sirius's signature unmade bed and overflowing trunk.  

            "Oh."

            "I'll take this," Sirius said, giving the mattress a kick, "you can have the bed."

            "Thanks."  Remus dropped onto the object in question with a sigh. 

            "Really man, don't listen to my mother," Sirius said gently. "It'll only get you down."  Remus shook his head slightly wondering how Sirius always knew what he was thinking.

            "I'll be ok."

            "Of course you will."

*                                                                    *                                                             *

            But despite his assuring words, Sirius was worried.  He had built up defenses, he knew how to let his mother's words wash over him—he could even laugh at them—but Remus didn't.  And Remus was more sensitive than Sirius—he took things to heart more than any of the other marauders.  In fact it was this sensitivity that played a large role in Sirius's attraction to his friend, it was what made him so kind, but Sirius was aware that it also lead Remus to be harder on himself than he should be.  And as Ms. Black was known to have broken some of the toughest wizards out there—Sirius himself had witnessed her drive more than one ministry official into tears—he found that he had plenty of reason to worry that she might break Remus.  Therefore it was with a heavy heart that Sirius went down to dinner that night, Remus in tow.

            The other three were already there, sitting at a mahogany table talking with an impatient air. 

            "_There_ you are," Ms. Black said, her tone indicating that she was highly perturbed at them for being late.  Sirius and Remus slipped sheepishly into the two remaining chairs. 

            "Sorry," Sirius replied in way of explanation.  His mother eyed him darkly, not sure if he was being insubordinate.  Deciding to ignore it she called for food.

            Kreature darted in, eyeing Sirius and Remus as darkly as his mistress was, his nose crinkled to indicate his displeasure.  He practically threw their lamb chop at them, a stark contrast to the careful service he gave the other three.   Sirius was unaffected by this, he was far to used to it to even notice, but Remus was shocked to see a house elf behave in such a manner.  Wisely, he decided to refrain from commenting on it. 

            At first the dinner went smoothly, the conversation remaining on the safe subject of Hogwarts.   The Marauders managed to remain nearly inconspicuous, and on the few occasions Ms. Black deemed it necessary to acknowledge their existence, her questions, though lacking any semblance of warmth, were not accusatory; she and Remus even managed to carry on a civil, if short lived, conversation about the O.W.L.s.  In fact, Remus was beginning to relax, even enjoy himself a little (after all, the food was very good), when the conversation moved towards unsteady grounds. 

            Politics were brought up.  First it was the recent ban on flying carpets.  That was a safe enough topic, as no one could get very offended over a topic as paltry as carpets. Unfortunately, no one could stay interested in such a topic either.  So somehow the conversation strayed to the appointment of the new junior assistant to the Prime Minister. 

            "Well, I think it should be Willy Nelson," Regulus declared cheerfully. Nicole nodded her assent. 

            "Of course you do," Ms. Black said approvingly, "one would be insane not to support him." She glared at Sirius as though daring him to defy her. "Now, there's a man with his head on straight.  He's got his priorities right, Willy Nelson has." It was then that Sirius noticed the color was draining from Remus's face.  He glanced in confusion between his friend and mother, wondering exactly what Willy Nelson's priorities _were_.    

            In the next moment Remus cleared this up for him, as he stammered, "He-he's the one who wants to pass that anti-werewolf act, right?" 

            "Yes.  He wants to stop them from getting jobs.  I agree with him, of course, they're nasty things," Ms. Black declared.  Sirius turned a worried eye to Remus, whose face was losing it's remaining color at a truly frightening speed.

            "But-but, it's not their fault.  That they were bitten, I mean," he argued weakly.

            "Doesn't stop them from being filthy dangerous creatures that respectable wizards should be ashamed to deal with!" Regulus cut in heatedly, oblivious to the effect this conversation was having on Remus.  Sirius watched his friend's eyes fill with tears as he did the impossible and became whiter still.  Furious at his family for causing Remus so much pain, even if it was unwittingly, he could hardly keep himself from yelling.

            "I agree with Remus," he finally managed to choke out.  

            "You would," his brother muttered.

            "I don't see why a wizard should be prosecuted for something they can't help!" This time he did yell.

            "Sirius, Sirius, sit back down," Remus said urgently, pulling at the shirt of his friend, who had indeed risen to his feet. Sirius complied fuming.  

            "Well, you, I'm afraid to say, don't see much very clearly," Ms. Black said, indicating with her tone that the subject was closed.   

            The rest of dinner was a quite affair, the silence was broken only by the clink of silverware and Nicole's delighted snickers.

      *                                                                    *                                                             *

            "Listen," Sirius began while he and Remus changed into pajamas.

            "I'm ok," Remus lied, sitting on the edge oh the bed. "No, really I am," he insisted when Sirius sat next to him, eyes concerned.  In fact, he was so distraught that it took him a few seconds to realize that Sirius, a shirtless, caring Sirius, was sitting close enough for their arms to brush.  He shifted away quickly.  

            "No, you aren't. You aren't ok at all."  It was Sirius's matter of fact tone—his assurance that he was indeed right, that broke Remus's weak defenses.  He sobbed, letting the tears flow freely, tracing wild paths across his face and falling onto his shirt and blanket. 

            "It's—there are so many Padfoot!" He choked, "So many that think…think…I'm…we're…a…"

            "Shh, I know.  It's ok,  Moony," Sirius cooed, and Remus became aware of his friend around him, his arms gently encircling him, his hands rubbing his back, while words of comfort were whispered into his hair. He was aware of the warmth and strength of the chest his tears were falling on, he felt Sirius's heart beat, comfortingly steady, contrasting his own sparatec breathes. 

            Sirius was as aware of Remus as Remus was of him. He felt, more forcibly than every before, the contrast in his friends body, the frailty of his gasping and trembling condition was underlain by strong muscles, it was a body that could have been used dangerously if Remus so desired—not that he ever did.  As he murmured words that he hoped could give his friend some strength, Sirius felt Remus's hair, soft against his lips.  He could practically taste it, certainly the smell of shampoo was overwhelming.  He could also feel his friends breath and tears streaming down is chest, and occasionally his heart would jolt as he felt Remus's lips brushing his skin—lips wet with their own tears. 

            The remained in this position for what seemed like forever, but eventually Remus's breaths became regular, his tears stopped and his body relaxed, limp in Sirius's arms.  Quietly Sirius lay his sleeping friend down, gently wiping the tears off his flushed cheeks and pulling the blankets around him.  Then he bent over and lightly kissed Remus's forehead.  Trembling himself now—though from repressed desire, not the pain and anger that had plagued Remus, Sirius slipped down onto his mattress, and stared unseeingly at the ceiling for many hours before he too slipped into sleep. 


	4. Girlfriends and Ice Cream

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter_ isstill not mine. And I have very little money so suing me won't get you anywhere, so don't even try, savvy? 

**A/N: **Ok, this is my last chapter before I go away.  But it's long, and shippy, and did I mention long?  My hands are cramping at the thought of typing it, and I haven't even started yet.   

Anyway, as I said I'll be away for a while, but I will continue this fic when I get back, so please don't completely forget about it! 

CHAPTER 4: GIRLFRIENDS AND ICE CREAM

            Remus woke early the next day.  He lay quietly, letting himself be immersed in the soft light of dawn while feelings and images from the night before danced through the head.  Anger, and the faces of Sirius's family sneering at him, melted into fear and sadness and the feeling of tears running down his face, which in it's turn changed into the sensation of Sirius all around him, the comfort and desire his friend's body inspired.   He closed his eyes as these feelings swirled around his heart, merging into a ball of confusion that settled stubbornly in his stomach. 

            He opened his eyes and watched the second hand of the clock above his bed tick endlessly around, tirelessly following its circular path, refusing to change it's course for the boy laying unhappily beneath it.  Though even if time _had_ wanted to help Remus, it wouldn't have known what to do.  Part of him longed for the moment Sirius would awake, but another dreaded the time when he would have to face the rest of the household. 

            He rested like that, floating alone in a sea of emotion for over two hours before Sirius sat up, rubbing his eyes.

            "You awake?" He asked. Remus nodded, leaving his eyes closed.

            "I've been up since six."

            "You should have woken me up!"

            "It's ok."  They sat in silence for a few minuets. 

            "It's early," Sirius said.

            "No, really?" Remus replied sarcastically.

            "Yeah—yeah, this is good.  Let's go get breakfast now, no one else will be up."

            "That's nice of you, Sirius, but you shouldn't have to go sneaking around your own home because of me," Remus said, resigned to carry out the course of action he had decided on—he would not be an inconvenience to Sirius, he would deal with whatever happened. 

            "Remus—it's not like I _want_ to see my family.  And I'm hungry, we're getting breakfast _now_," Sirius said, grabbing Remus's arm and pulling him from the bed.

            "Fine-fine. Ow! Let go!"

*                                                                               *                                                            *

            Kreature grumbled as he fixed the two boys eggs and bacon, but the food tasted fine, and they were having a very animated conversation about Quidditch when Regulus slipped into the room, hand in hand with Nicole.

            "You're up early," he said in a tone that indicated that he took personal offence from the fact.

            "So are you," Sirius replied.  Nicole's eyes narrowed as she and Regulus slipped into seats across from Remus and Sirius.

            "You two are in Gryffindor," she said unpleasantly.

            "And you two are in Slytheren," Sirius shot back, matching her tone.  Nicole narrowed her eyes even more, and Remus thought it made her look very much like a person who had lost their glasses.  He stifled a laugh.   

            "What's so funny?" Regulus demanded, and Sirius looked questioningly at his friend. 

            "Nothing," Remus said airily.  But then he promptly started laughing again because Nicole had narrowed her eyes some more, and that, combined with the fact that her hair was pulled into a tight bun, made her look precisely like Professor McGonagall would if she had lost glasses.   The effect was so pronounced that Sirius caught on and tried unsuccessfully to turn his laugh into a cough.

            "What the hell??" Regulus exclaimed.

            "Well, if you really _must_ know," Sirius began.

            "Oh but, it would hurt their feelings," Remus cut in with mock concern, falling back on the usual Marauder banter as his form of revenge for the night before.            

            "WHAT?"

            "It's just—"

            "Your girlfriend—" but they stopped at the look on Regulus's face.

            "Don't you _dare_ call her that in this house!" Regulus fumed.  Taken aback, Sirius took a moment to respond.

            "But she _is_ your girlfriend," he said.

            "Don't call her that.  Mum will have a fit if she finds out I've been sleeping in the same room as my girlfriend, you know how she is."   Sirius nodded, storing this information in the back of his head— such a weapon against his brother would be bound to come in handy.

            "Well," he began, "as we were saying, you're, um, _friend_—"

            "Looks—"

            "Just like McGonagall,"

            "When she's lost her glasses!" Remus finished with a flourish, relishing Regulus's look of furry and the patches of red on Nicole's cheeks. 

            "How—dare—you—" she sputtered before bursting into indignant tears.  The smile began to fade from Remus's face.    

            "Let's go, Moony," Sirius said, unaffected by the tears.  The two walked back of the stairs, Sirius still laughing.

            "You know, I think we really upset her,"  Remus said unhappily when they had reached Sirius's room.

            "She deserved it."

            "I feel bad."   Sirius studied his friend's face.  Remus was wearing the expression he wore  every time he thought someone had been truly offended or hurt by something he or one of the other marauders said or did.  It was an expression he wore a lot, and Sirius knew it as well has he knew the rules of Quidditch—he knew the exact downward curve Remus's lips formed, the way his eyelids fluttered, long lashes wavering above eyes darkened by sorrow and worry.   It was this melancholy expression that had first endeared Remus to him—both as a friend and then later as more.  

Sirius looked away, breathing heavily as he tried to push down the desire that was raging through his body, he wanted so bad to kiss Remus's, to make all his troubles go away.  It was moments like this that Sirius would normally fall back on James or Peter, allowing them to continue the conversation.  But now there was no James or Peter.

"She'll be ok, don't worry," he stammered, trying to retain his normal cool.  Remus, who had been painfully aware of Sirius's eyes on him was also stammering when he suggested the get started on some of their homework.  Sirius readily agreed, and both boys set to the task with vigor, glad to have something to distract them. 

         *                                                              *                                                      *

            "Done!" Remus declared many hours later, happily throwing down his pen.  "Five feet on what has got to be the most boring subject in the history of anything, and I'm done!"

            "Yeah-yeah, don't rub it in," Sirius muttered as he rolled up his still incomplete essay on what seemed to him a totally inconsequential piece treaty. "You realize we've been working all day? It's practically time for dinner!" 

            "Which is good, because I'm starving, we didn't eat lunch," Remus said, jumping to his feet, still elated by the feeling that he had no more history essays to write for two weeks.  "Let's go!"

But his euphoria was put to a premature end when he got to the dinner table.  The delighted yet sinister smiles plastered across the faces of Regulus and Nicole could, he was certain, mean nothing good.  And it didn't take long for this fear to be confirmed.  In what must, Remus thought, be an attempt at revenge, Regulus brought up the subject of the night before:

            "So you support werewolves rights?" he asked Remus.

            "Yes-yes I do," Remus relied coolly, determined not to get upset, although he could already feel this determination slipping.  This was the one subject that could always get him off his guard. 

            "That's disgusting!" Nicole cut in, and Remus had a feeling that this much of the conversation was rehearsed. He flushed but refused to raise to the bait. 

            "I agree," Ms. Black drawled.  "In fact, sometimes I worry about the people you're friends with, Sirius."  Sirius stared at her.  She often insulted his companions, but to do it in front of Remus seemed like too much.  But he caught Remus's eye and his friend gave him a small smile to indicate that it was all right.  In fact, Remus was relived that the conversation was straying away from werewolves. Unfortunately, Regulus wasn't going to give up that easily.

            "So, what do _you_ think should happen to werewolves mum?" He asked, shooting Remus a nasty glance. 

            "Well, if it were up to me, the foal creatures would be put into solitary confinement."  It was then that the color once again began to drain from Remus's face, and Sirius started to worry.  The words _if it were up to me_, when uttered by his mother, were always followed by a long tirade against the subject at hand.  This occasion was no different from the rest.   

"In fact," Ms. Black continued happily, "I would love—and I know many sensible wizards who agree—I would love to see them all killed.  I _certainly _support any law that makes it harder for them to get jobs.  It's not natural, upstanding wizards working alongside half breads.  It's utterly wrong, if I found out one was working with me—if I worked that is--I would certainly quit if my boss refused to fire it.  I'm certainly glad that there are none of them in the government. Can you believe people were actually advocating giving one a position on the ministry?"  

The flow of hatred went on.  By the end Remus was shaking, his eyes full of pain, beyond tears. Sirius knew this look—Remus rarely got it, only when an anti-werewolf law got passed, or when a vehement half-breed hater was appointed a position at the ministry or made a particularly nasty speech.  But Sirius had seen the look enough to be frightened of its effects on his friend—the look was always followed by withdrawn silence, a sorrowful moodiness that could go on for days.  And Sirius hated his family for putting  Remus in such a state.  He only vaguely heard Nicole's words of agreement, but his mind latched onto them, quickly planning his revenge.

"You should be glad, Regulus," he drawled, "that your _girlfriend_ gets along so well with our mother."

"His _what!?_" Ms. Black yelped.

"Girlfriend."

"She is _not_ my girlfriend!"  

Remus was hardly aware of the yelling going around him, he thought he heard a plate crash, but he didn't bother to look up.  He was already falling into his world of pain, fear and isolation.  He felt, an intense feeling that eclipsed all others, that he was different—a freak, hateable.  Lost in this feeling, it took him a minuet to realize that Sirius was half caring, half dragging him up the stairs, cursing under his breath.  Remus allowed Sirius to continue to support him, not arguing when he was lain on the bed.  He nodded feebly when Sirius said he would be right back, not really caring. 

            Sirius stalked down the stairs. The dinner had broken up—Nicole in tears, insisting she and Regulus were just friends.  His mother had been furious with him, convinced, of course, that Sirius was lying.   But he didn't care about that.  All he cared about was Remus, who seemed to have been hit particularly hard.  He knew that if he didn't snap him out of it right away, his friend would be wondering around for days in a pained daze.  And words weren't going to help.  He reached the kitchen and began collecting what he needed.

            Five minuets later he was back in his room, waving a carton of chocolate chip ice cream in front of Remus's face.  He had decided that instead of trying to convince Remus to forget what had happened, he would distract him long enough for the shock to ebb some. 

            "I've got your favorite," he said.

            "Not now."

            "Yes now," Sirius insisted, opening the carton and sticking the spoon into it.  He took a firm hold of Remus's arm and pulled him into a sitting position. "You're eating this if I have to force feed you!"

 The shock of Sirius's touch brought Remus out of himself a little.  His eyes focused and he became aware of what was around him, namely Sirius, holding a carton of chocolate chip ice cream. He decided that he might give the real world a try.

"I can feed myself, thank you very much," he said, taking the carton.

"Good man," Sirius said, delighted with the apparent success of his plan.  He pulled out another spoon. Remus eyed it warily. "What? Did you think I was going to let you eat that all by yourself?" Remus laughed and they set to the ice cream.

"So what happened after you told your mum about Nicole and Regulus?" Remus asked through a mouthful of ice cream.  Sirius shrugged.

"She took their side," he said simply. "I can't say I'm surprised."

"I'm not either."

"Finally got a hold of what a delightful woman my mother is, have you?"

"Yeah.  And James was right," Remus admitted sheepishly, "she's not a nice person."

"You catch on quick," Sirius said with a smirk.  They lapsed into silence, each both boys aware whenever their hands brushed as they devoured the ice cream.  The continued like this until there was only a spoonful of ice cream left.

"Who gets the last bight?" Sirius asked casually.

"Well, as _I'm_ the one _you're _trying to cheer up, that would be me," Remus replied, his spoon already descending into the carton. 

"Yeah, but you seem loads better," countered, grabbing Remus's wrist, using his other hand to go for the last bite.

"Oh, no you don't," said Remus with a laugh, grabbing Sirius's free hand.  It was then that Remus realized their noses were mere inches apart, he could feel Sirius's breath against his cheeks.  Hesitantly he looked up and saw Sirius was looking at him with eye's that mirrored the longing raging in Remus's own chest.  Uncertainly, Sirius began to lean forward. Encouraged, Remus followed suit and their lips met.

The kiss began lightly- tentative and frightened.  But soon all pretenses fell away and passion took over.  Remus felt Sirius lips—soft and sweet from the ice cream, move with his own, he let the taste of Sirius's mouth consume him.  Soon Sirius's shirt was off, Remus ran his hands across his smooth skin, delighting in the feel Sirius's body—it's warmth and strength sending thrills up his fingers, spreading through his body like a fire.  He didn't even realize Sirius's was removing _his_ shirt until:

"Oh, Remus."  Sirius's voice was soft with compassion as his fingers traced the scars that ran along Remus's chest and stomach, the marks of a monthly battle against himself that he had never allowed any of his friends to see.  "Do they hurt?" Sirius asked.

"No," Remus replied, and their lips met again.

Slowly passion subsided and they lay down, bodies entwined, Remus's head resting on Sirius's chest.

"I'm feeling much better now," he said with a laugh.  Sirius smiled, content with their unspoken agreement: they would, at least for now, go no further than they had, they were both frightened of doing anything to quickly. _ It's enough, _Sirius thought_, just to have Remus in my arms. _It was with a smile that he drifted into sleep.

**A/N: **Wow, this chapter is two pages longer than the last one. I really wish I could type faster, it took a ridiculously long time to get this all onto the computer. Anyway, PLEASE review *puppy eyes*


	5. Innocent Prank

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still not mine.

**A/N: **I'm home!  In civilization! With computers and beds and food that's not powdered!  *is happy* Not to say my trip wasn't fun…it was, rock climbing kicks ass and there were some great people (even if I do sound like I'm from New England now, how is it that half the group was from Massachusetts?).  But still, it's nice to be home and writing again.

Sorry this took so long to write, my muse wasn't working very well.  And I was subbing as a lifeguard in an attempt to earn enough money to by a season 1 _Alias_ DVD.  The good news is I'm definitely going to make enough.   And this is finally written, that's good news too.

The bad news is the story's almost over. Sorry folks.

And of course, thanks to everyone who reviewed!

I would like to add an extra thank you to "Usagi" who was kind enough to BETA this for me.

CHAPTER 5: INNOCENT PRANK

Remus woke up the next day feeling insanely happy. He was lying in Sirius' arms. _He was lying in Sirius' arms._ It was, in a horribly clichéd nutshell, a dream come true. He was lying in Sirius' arms. How many times had he envisioned this moment? He couldn't even begin to count.  

"Remus?" Sirius' voice was low. Remus started slightly; he had been unaware that Sirius was awake.

"Hm?"

"You awake?"

"Yeah."

"It's late, we should get up." Remus shook his head in protest, not wanting to leave the comfort of Sirius. 

"It's nearly half past eleven," Sirius insisted. "We don't want them to come looking for us." This time Remus nodded, understanding the logic of this argument, but still didn't move. Sighing, Sirius moved out from under him, and Remus felt his head hit the mattress.

 "Ow!" He protested, but Sirius ignored him, choosing to focus on the mattress beside the bed - untouched the night before. Frowning, he grabbed the still-neat comforter and began to shake it. "Whatcha doing?" Remus asked tiredly as he sat up.

"We've got to make it look like this bed's been slept in," Sirius explained, throwing half the comforter aside, and stepping back to evaluate the effect. "How's it look?"   

"Looks fine," Remus said shortly, slightly put off by Sirius' attitude. He had somehow imagined a more affectionate greeting, maybe a good morning kiss, and certainly some reaction to the night before that was not simply to hide it. Watching Sirius methodically indent the pillows, Remus began to wonder if his companion was regretting what happened. 

"Okay, this looks good," Sirius said happily. Remus eyed him. Sirius seemed to understand what he was thinking, and threw him a reassuring smile. "If my mother ever suspects _anything_, she'll kill us both," he explained, before walking quickly over to Remus and giving him a kiss. "We should go have breakfast now."

Content, Remus quickly complied.

             *                                                                    *                                                      *

            The next few days were the best Sirius ever spent in his home. By his request he and Remus were overly cautious, confining any and all display of affection to his room, and even then only when it was locked. But that didn't prevent his overwhelming euphoria from spreading throughout the entire day. A glance from Remus, or a brush of his hand, was all it took to make him smile. It got to the point that Regulus actually asked him what was wrong. Sirius' only reply had been to shrug.

Remus was affected in the same way. The next night, when Regulus, uncreative as he was, brought up werewolves yet again, Remus remained unmoved. The two found almost hysterical joy in everything, from schoolwork to the antics of Kreature.  

And so life passed until, quite unexpectedly, Christmas Eve was upon them. That afternoon, after a particularly fierce chess game in which Remus barely escaped defeat, the two were laying in the yard, discussing how to celebrate.

"Obviously, nothing that normally happens in this house could be construed as a celebration," Sirius explained. "Really, Christmas is normally quite depressing. My mother's not big on decorations, and the only difference between Christmas dinner and any other dinner is the turkey."

"Well, we can't have that, now can we?" Remus said. "I would hate to regret being here instead of Hogwarts." 

"That would certainly be a tragedy." 

"So, how to celebrate?"

"Well, I have several ideas, which can all be carried out with great success."

"I assume one of those ideas involves your room and a locked door?"

"But of course, but that's for later in the day. I have another idea, just to add a little Christmas spirit to the house."

*                                                                      *                                                      *

"Regulus is a big fan of his hair," Sirius said quietly as he and Remus stalked down the hall in typical Marauder fashion. "Really, I think this will be quite upsetting." Remus smiled. Any qualms he might have had with upsetting Sirius's brother had long since disappeared. Besides, Regulus could learn to live with red and green hair - and it was only for a few months. 

Regulus's door opened without a sound, a fortunate consequence of his habit of oiling it almost daily. Remus was surprised at the ease of the plan, but then, Sirius (and James, of course), always managed to come up with the simplest yet most brilliant pranks, all which would go off without a hitch. This one was apparently no different - it only took a minute to apply the hair dye, and soon the pranksters were back in Sirius' room, spread across his bed in fits of laughter. They feel asleep quickly - it was, after all, one in the morning - bodies entwined, and the mattress, like every night, forgotten. 

*                                                               *                                                          *

The next day Sirius was jolted awake by the sound of his door being slammed open. In confusion he looked up, to be confronted by the image of Regulus, in boxers and a blue t-shirt, his hair bright green, tipped in flaming red.

"SIRIUS, I'M GOING TO KILL Y-holy shit!" Regulus's mouth hung open as he took in what he saw. "You-you-you two-are-are…holy shit." His face broke into a grin. "Mom will kill you! You are _done_!" And with that he began to laugh hysterically. 

 Sirius scrambled to his feet, hating himself for being so careless as to not lock the door.  He was barley aware of Remus, who was staring grimly at Regulus. The only thing he was aware of was the fact that he had to stop his mother from finding out.

"Mom won't kill us if she doesn't find out."

"Oh, and I'm not going to tell her?"

"No, you aren't," Sirius said defiantly, attempting to keep his cool.

"And why not?"

"Because-because-if you tell on me, I'll tell on you!"  Regulus seemed slightly taken aback.

"But-but she didn't believe you about Nicole."

"Not about Nicole."

"Than what are you going to tell her?"

"You know." Regulus' face contorted into an expression of mixed fury, confusion and worry.

"You-you-how do you know?" He stammered, clearly disturbed. 

"I have my sources," Sirius replied smoothly.

"You-you promise not to tell if I don't tell on you and…him?"  Sirius nodded coolly.

"Deal?"

"Yes. Deal," Regulus said before rushing off.  

Remus gave Sirius a quizzical look.

"What do you know about him?" He asked eagerly.

"Absolutely nothing," Sirius replied.

"You mean you were bluffing?" Remus asked in slight aw.  Sirius nodded and Remus broke into laughter. "That's great!  Hey... I wonder what got him so worked up? What does he think you know?" Sirius shrugged.

"I don't know, and I don't care," he said lightly.  In fact, he did care, because he was very worried that whatever it was, Regulus would be able to find out that he didn't know about it, and then, he didn't even want to think about it. But not wishing to ruin Remus' mood, he didn't voice his worry; instead it was with a smile that he suggested they open presents.


End file.
